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In all of my lives, the longest I get to live is till the age of eighteen, a day before my birthday I die. It's getting annoying and monotonous, how I always die the day before I turn nineteen, and also the day this dammed family is destroyed by the count. It's not just that I want to live longer, but if I could at least see their ruin, I would feel better, like a little revenge for every lifetime they've abused me.
Here was Tavora, waiting for the guards to come get her once more. Her "mother" died again, every lifetime is the same, the maid always die, and one time she tried so hard to not let the maid die, she also ended up with smallpox. She gave up, this was the fifteenth time this happened, she tired, exhausted even. So she waited.
She memorized every event that would happen, the guards would take about two to five hours to come get her, then she would meet the family, talk to head, make a deal, go to the back house, get abused through the first year and be accused of witchery or of being cursed and bring misfortune to the town and the people.
It was all really monotonous, she already knew all that would happen next.
.....
"It's getting boring having to wait for the guards."
.....
Tavora decided to go out while the guards were taking their time to come, so she went for a walk in the woods. It was the first time in a while she did something.
On her way there, many of the villagers were looking at her and whispering. How could they not, the "cursed child", the "white demon", the "witch of the Geier state" was walking through town after her mother just died of a terrible disease, and she wasn't even mourning her, or even looked sad.
She just wanted to disappear in the many trees that surrounded the town, look into the deep green of the forest, a green so dark but so vivid, that would enchant anyone who actually looked at it.
Getting closer to the limit of the town, where the forest begun, and old woman, accompanied by guards, stood in front of her-"Excuse me little girl, have you seen a boy with dark brown hair and bright green eyes? He's taller than you and is wearing a black noble attire."- the old woman said smiling looking her straight in the eyes.
Tavora was surprised the old lady didn't say anything about her appearance, and neither did a grimace. She was smiling at her, even if it was fake, it was the first time someone looked at her face and smiled so sweetly while talking to her, not even the maid, who birthed her, ever looked at her this way.
She was moved by the older woman's behavior. Maybe because it has been a long time since anyone talked to her without making a snark comment or without showing disgust.
She was so shocked by the older woman's elegant and kind demeanour towards her, that she forgot to answer and simply stared at the woman.
"I'm sorry child, perhaps you can't talk, excuse this old lady for such ignorant behavior. I didn't think you could be mute."
Tavora was startled with this lovely person, and finally responded to the noblewoman.
"I- I'm not mute. Apologies for my crude behavior, I was simply surprised someone like you spoke so kindly to me."
"Oh my. Why would I act any differently towards you?"
....
'Is she serious? A noblewoman directing herself to a poor child, and on top of everything, a child that looks like me. No noble would do that. And she talks to me with such delicacy and care, a way no one in my two hundred years here ever had. All because I decided to come out of the house for the first time, before the guards arrived.'
Something different and unpredictable, finally happened to Tavora. And for the first time in all her fourteens lives, she felt hope. Not because of the old lady, but because she just testified a new occurrence, an act out of the normal. She had hope she could change something, anything, maybe even her death.
"So, have you seen the boy I mentioned? He's my grandson, I'm quite desperate since.... Well the cause is not important, but did you perhaps saw him?"
.....
"No madam I have not seen anyone with a matching description, but if I do, I'll inform you."
"Well thank you child."- before leaving the noblewoman looked quite intrigued by the white haired child covered in moles.
"Child, how do you have such noble manner of speech?"
Since Tavora lived quite a long time with the Geier family, she picked up some of their customs. But she couldn't say that to the lady before her.- "Um, my mother taught me to read, and on my spare time I would often go to the library and read fairytale books about nobles, so I learned some words there.
"Hmmm.... I see. Thank you for your cooperation. Have a good day young girl."
"Umm..... Yes, you too."
Tavora finally arrived at the forest, she thought of running away from the guards. She could do so, but what would she do later? Who would give a job to a skinny and tiny kid like her, which could barely do any manual labor that required the bare minimum strength. Specially, someone with her looks.
Walking deeper and deeper inside the forest, lost in thought, time was passing by, and the sun was setting. She suddenly stopped, and stared at the landscape before her, dusk was arriving, and the remaining rays of light made the forest look enchanting, some parts of the forest already a dark green, and some still bright with some rays of yellow from the sun. It was beautiful, she was mesmerized, the colors reminded her of her little sister's eyes.
Her sister was ten years younger, wavy light blonde hair that shone beautifully under the sunlight, freckles that resembled stars and constellations on her face, elegant full pink lips, thin arched eyebrows, long luxurious lashes, a mole under the lower lip, white milky skin and those eyes. Eyes a forest green so deep, with a tint of yellow close to the pupils, it was mesmerizing, anyone who saw it could be hypnotized to do the girl's every will.
She stopped walking, just staring at the horizon and sunset. Feeling nostalgic of every loving one, and a longing in her heart so profound that it hurt. It hurt her she no longer could feel those tiny little hands holding her face, short arms that struggled to fully embrace her, feet tip toeing to reach her high whenever they faced the mirror. And that smile a silly, but yet so lovely, kind and innocent smile anytime they stared at each other for too long. That was her sister, her light, her happiness, her baby, her everything, everything she ever fought for.
Jaw clenching, mouth dry, eyelids fluttering, throat tightening, eyes watering, hands trembling and thoughts,running wild, thousands at a time.
'Why ME? So many people, with terrible families or no family at all, to choose from, but this world chose me. A person who was satisfied, content and happy with the life she had. Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME?..... Just why did it had to be me?'- deep breaths that came out shaky, but still helped her calm down, a hand on her chest. She was overwhelmed, and needed to think, think about everything.
Sat on a rock to think about everything, and question everything. 'Most of the novels and manhwas about isekai, the female leads always have horrible families or no family at all. So why did this world chose me? And how did it bring me here? Maybe dying wasn't the way to get me here, but a condition to be able to bring me here. So what bought me her-' CRACK!
Tavora immediately got up startled. It could be a wild animal, the guards, people, or worse, human traffickers. She was ready to run, at disadvantage since she was bare feet, though no matter what she would run. When she finally saw what it was in the shadows behind the bushes, Tavora became more surprised than she would be if it was a human trafficker.